hello . . . its called riparian rights or a system of allocating water among those who possess land about its source.Riparian rights include such things as the right to access for swimming, boating and fishing; the right to wharf out to a point of navigability; the right to erect structures such as docks, piers, and boat lifts; the right to use the water for domestic purposes; the right to accretions caused by water level fluctuations; the right to view and protection of view. Riparian rights also depend upon "reasonable use" as it relates to other riparian owners to ensure that the rights of one riparian owner are weighed fairly and equitably with the rights of adjacent riparian owners. Also there is Admiralty law (also referred to as maritime law) which is a distinct body of law governing maritime questions and/or offenses. This is a private international law governing the relationships between private entities operating vessels on the oceans. It is distinguished from the Law of the Sea, which is a body of public international law dealing with navigational rights, mineral rights, jurisdiction over coastal waters and international law governing relationships between nations. The whole issue of "water" laws are really quit complex depending upon whether it is the ocean, lake, river, etc.